Brahmos, the world’s “most formidable” supersonic cruise missile system, has been successfully integrated and test-flown with the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su-30MKI frontline strike fighter!

Integration of BRAHMOS with the Su-30MKI will render the weapon a multi-platform capability while making the IAF the only Air Force in the world in procession of a supersonic cruise missile system.

Brahmos, the world’s “most formidable” supersonic cruise missile system, has been successfully integrated and test-flown with the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Su-30MKI frontline strike fighter!

With today’s successful flight, the BrahMos air version programme now inches closer towards actual test firing, when a 2.5-ton BrahMos air-to-ground missile will be fired from the Sukhoi-30 in the coming months. Today’s flight trial has been keenly observed by several other nations in the world in possession of the Su-30 strike fighter who are looking towards acquiring a lethal weapon system for the Russian-made warplanes.

We take a look at 5 special facts about today’s development on BrahMos and why it’s important for IAF:

1) Integration of BrahMos supersonic missile system on Su-30 MKI will make the world envy Indian Air Force (IAF), says BrahMos Aerospace CEO & MD Sudhir Kumar Mishra. Speaking to FE Online after the test flight, Mishra said, “This is the most important step in the direction to giving the IAF incredible offensive capability on its frontline fighter aircraft.”

Mishra added that no country in the world has a missile system, the likes of BrahMos, integrated on its frontline fighter jets.

2) The demonstration flight, carried out at HAL Nasik, involved carriage of Brahmos weapon on the long-range Sukhoi-30 fighter. This is a a major fillip to IAF.

3) Asked about when the missile system will be test-fired from the Su-30 MKI, Mishra expressed confidence that the test will take place in 2016 itself. “By the end of this year, IAF will be able to proudly say that it has the BrahMos firepower,” he said.

4) The powerful missile will enable the IAF penetrate deep inside the enemy territory to deliver a deadly blow to their vital installations from stand-off ranges. The integration brings a paradigm shift in the capability of the IAF vis-à-vis its adversaries.

The Su-30-BRAHMOS combination will carry out air combat operations within and beyond visibility range and will provide the IAF with the capability of attacking targets protected by powerful air defence assets.

5) Integration of BRAHMOS with the Su-30MKI will render the weapon a multi-platform capability while making the IAF the only Air Force in the world in procession of a supersonic cruise missile system.

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Brahmos supersonic cruise missile system

The BRAHMOS entered service with the Indian armed forces in 2006. This missile has been adopted by Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. Some sources report that Indian armed forces have a total requirement for about 1 000 of these missiles. This cruise missile is also being proposed for export customers from 14 countries.

The BRAHMOS is based on the Russian P-800 Oniks supersonic anti-ship cruise missile. The missile is 9 m long and has a diameter of 0.7 m. It has a two-stage propulsion system. It uses solid-fuel rocket booster for initial acceleration and liquid-fuel ramjet for sustained supersonic cruise. The booster is ejected by the airflow after it has burned out.

This missile has a range of 290-300 km. It can carry nuclear warhead, or 200-300 kg conventional warhead. The range is limited to 300 km, as Russia is a signatory of the Missile Technology Control Regime, which prohibits it from helping other countries develop missiles with ranges above 300 km.

The BRAHMOS is one of the fastest cruise missiles in the world. It travels at supersonic speed and can gain a speed of Mach 2.8 (3 430 km/h). This missile was developed primarily as an anti-ship missile, however there are also land attack versions. This cruise missile has GPS/GLONASS/GAGAN satellite guidance. It uses US, Russian or Indian navigation satellites and has a pin-point accuracy. At a maximum range it can hit a target as small as 1.5 x 1.5 m. It is a fire-and-forget type missile.

The BRAHMOS has the capability to engage targets from a very low altitude. It uses Russian sea-skimming cruise missile technology and can fly at altitude from 5 to 14 000 meters. Also it can maneuver at supersonic speed before hitting the target. Close-in weapon systems might not be effective against BRAHMOS, as it travels too fast. Also this missile can be used in electronic countermeasures environment. So it might be a hard nut for air defense systems to intercept.

BRAHMOS-A is an air-launched version. It is carried by fixed-wing aircraft. It is 9 m long and has a launched weight of 2 500 kg. It can be carried by an Indian Su-30MKI, however structural changes of the fuselage are required. The Indian Air Force has already adopted this cruise missile;

BRAHMOS-M another air-launched version. However this missile is smaller. It is 6 m long, but has the same range. It can be used by more Indian aircraft without modifications, such as, MiG-29K, Mirage 2000, and the Su-30MKI. As of 2015 this missile is still under development. It is expected to be adopted by 2017;

BRAHMOS II is a new hypersonic cruise missile, that is currently being developed by the BRAHMOS Aerospace joint venture. It is planned that the new missile will attain speed of up to Mach 7 (8 575 km/h). It is described as the fastest cruise missile in the world. It will have the same range as the BRAHMOS. It is expected to be ready for testing by 2017.